Test kits, and mitigation, for radon exposure should be discounted

Radon test kits, such as the one above, were sold at a discount at a radon forum last week in Camas, Washington. The Oregon Health Authority was a co-sponsor of the event, which was held in Washington state despite Oregon - Salem especially - having its own radon problem.(Photo: Bob Gross, Times Herald)

January was National Radon Action Month. When you think about it, it's the perfect time to raise awareness. Folks tend to stay indoors in the winter, they have their windows closed tight, and they have their heat cranked up.

These are ideal conditions for radon to stay trapped in enclosed spaces.

Radon is an odorless, tasteless, and invisible naturally occurring radioactive gas that is normally held harmless underground.

But radon gas can seep into homes built above the ground and become trapped and build to dangerous levels that increase the risk of lung cancer.

Radon is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer among people who do not smoke. It's the second leading cause of lung cancer for people who do.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon causes more than 20,000 deaths from lung cancer annually.

Homeowners and landlords can take simple steps to reduce radon in their homes and buildings, but the only foolproof way to know what a home's radon level is to test it.

The kits, which can be bought at hardware stores and online, run from about $15 for the short-term kit to about $50 for a long-term kit. Some of the fees, include shipping and laboratory analysis. Not all do.

But last week at the Northwest Radon Forum held in Camas, Washington, kits were just $7 each. Pictures show the line to purchase them snaked around the room.

We would like the kits available at this discounted price all year long and at more convenient locations.

Selling radon testing kits at a discount, offering participants information on the health effects of radon gas and how to test for its presence in homes as well as giving tips on how to reduce radon levels indoors is important to all Oregonians.

South Salem, West Salem, Aurora, Silverton, Turner, and Dallas were all identified in a 2013 report by the geology department at Portland State University as having a "high potential for radon." And that's just here in the Mid-Valley.

Communities across the state deserve access to kits that are affordable, and asking nonprofits who covet every penny to cover the cost isn't a solution. It's also easy to dismiss discounted kits by saying if residents can't afford $15 or $25 for kit, how are they ever going to pay for mitigation, which can cost a couple thousand dollars?

But taking care of one's health isn't only for the well off. All Oregonians have a right to know when their homes are hurting them.

It's a little like mammograms. Give women and men the test, and then figure out how to get them treatment if they can't afford it.